What is nystagmus?

Many people suffer from nystagmus, or what is called nystagmus. Nystagmus is a condition in which there is an involuntary movement of the eyes, the eyes move involuntarily and without control and continuously. In most cases, the eyes move horizontally, from right to left in an oscillatory and involuntary manner, but in other cases the eyes move vertically or circularly.

Nystagmus is usually accompanied by poor vision and high vision numbers, most people with nystagmus wear glasses. These people also have sensitivity to light, feel that the world is shaking, suffer from dizziness and other vision problems. Nystagmus is often a congenital condition, and can occur as a result of various eye diseases.

In addition to the poor vision that people with nystagmus suffer from, there are two other important things that bother people with nystagmus. First, most of these people cannot get a driver's license due to their poor vision, which means that they are not independent in moving around. The second thing is the damage to the self-image and self-confidence of some of them due to nystagmus. Here, in fact, our intervention as doctors to treat nystagmus is very important and necessary to help these people obtain a driver's license and live a normal lifestyle without restrictions and in complete independence. In addition, our intervention also helps to improve self-image and increase self-confidence.

Can laser eye surgery be performed on people with nystagmus (eye twitching)?

Absolutely yes, as long as the condition of the eye allows it. Nystagmus, as we mentioned, is accompanied by poor vision and most people with nystagmus wear glasses and suffer from angles (cylinders) which also make vision difficult. Laser eye surgery to remove glasses rids the person of glasses, but also improves the quality of vision.

What tests should a person with nystagmus undergo in order to undergo laser eye surgery?

A complete eye examination including a complete vision examination, corneal imaging examination, retinal examination, and a detailed eye examination is recommended by our clinic's nystagmus specialist - Dr. Orwa Nasser. Depending on the condition of the cornea, the degree of numbers, the degree of angles (cylinders), the thickness of the cornea, personal and family history, work, habits, hobbies, expectations and vision capabilities, Dr. Nasser will help you choose the appropriate and safe surgical procedure for you.

Does eye tremor affect the laser eyeglass removal procedure?

No. As long as the eye examination and the degree of numbers, the degree of angles (cylinders), the thickness of the cornea and all examinations allow it, the surgery can be performed regardless of the cause of the eye tremor.

What types of operations can be performed to remove glasses in nystagmus patients?

In the laser eyeglass removal procedure, the vision problem in the eye itself is corrected at the level of the cornea using a special laser that reshapes the surface of the cornea. In this way, clear and sharp vision can be obtained without the need for glasses or contact lenses. After the procedure, patients are free from glasses and contact lenses but also from all the costs and hassle associated with glasses or contact lenses.

For people with nystagmus in particular, the type of surgery will be selected individually and based on the data found in the eye examination, vision possibilities and lifestyle. The most suitable types of surgery for people with nystagmus are Femto-LASIK, PRK, Trans-PRK and SMILE.

Femto-Second LASIK: In femto-LASIK, a very thin layer of the outer surface of the cornea is designed using a femto laser and partially separated without completely separating it, so it remains connected to the rest of the cornea at one of its edges. Afterwards, laser treatment is performed on the cornea to redesign its topography and then the thin layer is replaced. Dr. Nasser does not use any knife or surgical blade to perform the procedure. Instead, he uses a femto laser to remove that layer of the cornea. The advantages of femto laser are: very fast recovery (within 24 hours), high precision, precise control, excellent results, no pain and short-term use of drops after surgery. There may be a little light sensitivity for a few days.

SMILE procedure: In the SMILE procedure, a very thin disc-shaped layer is formed from the cornea using the femto laser without using surgical knives or blades. The disc is then removed from inside the cornea through a small incision. The small incision is in the shape of a smiley face, which is why the procedure is called SMILE. Dr. Nasser does not use any knife or needle to perform the procedure. Instead, he uses the femto laser to create the disc and the small incision. There are many advantages of the SMILE procedure such as very fast recovery (within 24 hours), high precision, precise control and excellent results, no pain and short-term use of drops after surgery. There may be very little light sensitivity and discomfort.

PRK and Trans-PRK: In PRK and Trans-PRK, a laser is used to reshape the corneal topography, but no partial layer of the cornea is removed or a disc is formed. Instead, in PRK, the outer corneal tissue is removed to allow the laser to reach the inside of the cornea. In Trans-PRK, the outer corneal tissue is not removed and the laser is applied directly to the corneal flap, but the outer corneal tissue is removed at the end of the procedure. This tissue will grow back in an average of three to five days. For this reason, and because it takes about a week for the outer corneal tissue to heal completely, the patient may experience pain, excessive tearing of the eyes, sensitivity to light and blurred vision during the first week. In addition, there is a treatment period that includes the use of eye drops The eye is kept in a cool, dry place for several months to ensure optimal healing. A contact lens is placed on the eye for the first week after surgery to reduce pain. Patients usually start seeing well after a week and the results are very good.